Poor Little Dead Girls (33 page)

“Yeah, well look how well that turned out.”

Sadie made a noise like she had been punched.

“Sorry, that was a terrible thing to say.” Brett rubbed her temple with one hand and closed her eyes. “I’m just so tired.”

Sadie felt Jeremy squeeze her hand reassuringly. He had been so quiet since they found Brett, but he was still there and that was what mattered.

“So who else is paired? Thayer and Finn, I guess. That one’s obvious,” Jeremy said, clearly trying to steer the conversation back toward safer ground.

“Not as obvious as you would think. He took a long time before he finally ended up choosing her.”

“Who would he have chosen instead? I thought they were basically engaged at birth.”

Brett shook her head. “He hooked up with a few girls. Olivia for a little while, then a few others. Even Anna. I forgot about that — lots of people thought he was going to choose her before everything happened.”

They kept talking, but Sadie wasn’t listening. She forced her feet to keep moving, but all she could hear were Brett’s words echoing in her head. The pairs never break. If Finn had chosen Anna, where would that have left Thayer?

They were nearing campus, and instinctively the three of them veered farther into the shadows as they walked.

She went through the motions of saying goodbye to Jeremy and walking Brett to her room, but everything around her seemed muted. Her voice sounded tinny and far away as she told Brett she would come by first thing in the morning, and she floated down the hallway, her footsteps making no sound.

When she finally collapsed onto her bed, she had so many thoughts swirling around in her head, she could barely breathe. She knew now that Jeremy was on her side, but there was still so much to do. She had to convince the Sullas to go to the benefit. She had to find out what was going on in that basement, and she had to figure out why Anna had a picture of her mother and Teddy stashed away in her locker. More importantly, though, she knew she finally had the ability to do those things. She had help — Jeremy, Jessica, the twins. She didn’t know if she could trust anybody else, but at least it was something.

She curled into a ball, hugging her arms to her chest. She could still feel the bruising around her wrist, where Josh had gripped her so tightly it had left a mark. She tried to remind herself that whatever she was facing, what Brett was going through was worse. She had promised her whole life to someone, and already, she had seen how much that promise would cost.

At practice the next day, Brett wouldn’t meet Sadie’s eyes. She didn’t blame her, and she tried to give her space. But now she couldn’t help but notice the long-sleeved shirt she wore under her jersey, and for the first time, she understood its purpose. It was armor — not to protect her body, but to uphold her facade: the perfect student with the perfect boyfriend. It was all a lie.

She dawdled in the locker room, sending Jessica and the other girls back to Keating ahead of her. Jessica had given her a questioning look, but she had gone anyway. The four of them had arranged to meet later that night to go over the plans, and by then Sadie had to let them know if she had managed to convince the Sullas to go. She still hadn’t managed to get Thayer alone, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to do it.

The way things turned out, it was easy.

“Hey, Portland,” Thayer said, her words echoing around the empty room, “ready to meet your maker?”

“Is that a drinking game?” she deadpanned.

Thayer rolled her eyes. “It’s time for you to meet the elders at the tower. Remember when I told you they’d tell you more about the Sullas when they thought you were ready?” She swept an arm dramatically toward the door. “It’s time.”

Sadie had to force herself to walk slowly in line with Thayer’s pace, but she wanted to sprint. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to run toward the tower or away from it, but her body just wanted to move. She was finally going to get some answers.

They climbed up to the third floor, passing the cavernous ceremony room, and the small room Sadie had walked into looking for the bathroom. The door was open and it was dark inside, but she shuddered when she saw the leather couch.

They stopped in front of an unmarked door. It looked just like the rest, but it was fitted with a modern lock. “This is you. Don’t embarrass me, okay?” Thayer smiled. “And congrats. This means you’re officially, officially in.”

Sadie raised an eyebrow. “I thought that’s what the whole white-robed, bovine-fetish wedding ceremony was about?”

“Very funny. You were in then, but now you’re going to find out exactly what being in means.” She fluttered her hand in a wave and turned back toward the stairs. “Have fun.”

Sadie squared her shoulders and turned toward the door. As she raised her hand to knock, the door opened. Teddy smiled at her and extended a hand. “Welcome to the inner circle, Sadie. I have so much to tell you both.”

Sadie shook it and peered past him into the room. It was an office, decorated like the salon with a rich, oriental carpet and a huge desk made of polished wood.

“Us both?”

Someone stepped out from behind Teddy and held up a hand. She was so glad to see Jeremy, she almost collapsed.

Teddy waved a hand toward two chairs. “Have a seat.”

He took his place behind the desk, and for a moment no one spoke. Sadie’s eyes wandered the room, settling on a marble bust set into an alcove cut into the stone wall. The man’s nose was missing, replaced by a jagged gash of raw stone, and his eyes were blank spheres that looked ghoulish in the dim light.

“Beautiful rendering, isn’t it?”

Sadie blinked. Teddy was looking at her, an amused smile on his face.

She nodded. “Who is it?”

Teddy glanced back at the bust. “Lucius Cornelius Sulla — celebrated Roman general and a personal hero of my father’s. He’s become something of a mascot around here.”

He looked at her expectantly. “He looks very … heroic.” She heard Jeremy stifle a laugh.

“Yes, he does. Okay, let’s get to it,” Teddy said, leaning forward. “Two weeks ago, you both became a part of something, but I’m sure you have lots of questions about exactly what that is. I’m sure you’ve heard snippets about our goals, maybe you’ve read our mission statement in the logbook, but you haven’t heard the whole story.”

Sadie found herself nodding along, maybe too eagerly, and Jeremy reached out and took her hand. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

“As I’m sure you can understand, we have to be very careful about who to trust, and simply taking our oath doesn’t guarantee you’ll be worthy of becoming one of us. You two have taken many tests already. The interview with the Fates, the initiation ceremony, the White House event. You’ve both performed well.”

Sadie shifted in her chair. She didn’t like to think about herself being constantly evaluated. She thought about her trip to the hospital with Jessica. How closely had they been watching?

“Why don’t you tell me what you’ve heard so far, so I know where to start.”

Sadie glanced at Jeremy and he nodded to her to start. “Well, the point of the Order of Optimates is to make the world a better place.”

He looked thoughtful. “That’s true. Has anyone shared with you how we are planning to go about that?”

“Through philanthropy projects, like the hospital.” She couldn’t resist mentioning it, but Teddy didn’t even flinch.

“Also true. We sponsor many projects, all unified by the single goal of helping others, and improving our positioning.” He leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands casually behind his head. “Do you two read the news?”

“Sometimes,” Sadie said. Jeremy nodded.

“And what do you usually see?”

They glanced at each other, but Teddy continued before they could answer. “I’ll tell you what you see. Discord. Brutality. Degradation.” He sat forward, his face suddenly flushed with color. “This country is in crisis. The global economy is as close to complete collapse as it’s ever been. People are getting poorer. They’re getting dumber. They’re getting fatter. They’re dying earlier of what should be preventable diseases. And genetic conditions — Alzheimer’s, cancer, autism — are only getting more prevalent, when we have all the tools we need to eradicate them.”

Sadie just blinked.

His eyes flashed. “We have all this potential, but no one is doing anything about it. No one is taking the initiative.”

He smiled, then, and Sadie felt a cold fear seeping through her body, for a reason she couldn’t quite explain.

“Well, we’re taking it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jeremy shift in his chair. “What do you mean, exactly?”

His smile dropped, and his face became a somber mask. “This country was built on the idea of a better future. As I’m sure you know by now, this group was founded by one of the country’s founding fathers, and through the years, we’ve always felt it was our duty to protect those ideals. And the United States is failing. The political system isn’t working. We fight and bicker and take sides, and nothing gets done. The health-care system isn’t working; we spend $150 billion a year on costs directly related to obesity, a condition that should be 100 percent preventable. Hell, the people themselves aren’t even working. Unemployment rates are close to 10 percent.” He stood up suddenly, and Sadie felt herself involuntarily shrinking away from him.

He came around the desk and perched on its edge.

“Look, democracy has failed. That became clear a long time ago, but now we’re seeing the real effects. The recession is the beginning, but it’s only going to get worse. We need change — real change, and the Sullas are offering a solution. We’re building a new group of leaders, one that can step in once the current regime can no longer handle their responsibilities. That day is fast approaching.”

Sadie was stunned. The Order of Optimates. Best Men. She had always thought the name was just another manifestation of the group’s apparent obsession with Greek and Roman culture. But it was literal.

“You’re building a new ruling class.” Her voice was incredulous, but he mistook it for awe.

He nodded. “We have been for decades. And we’re almost ready. But that’s not the whole picture.”

“You may have wondered why you were chosen over others — why we looked so deeply into your family histories, and why certain steps were taken during your vetting period that may have seemed odd to you.”

He paused for effect, and his eyes were wide with excitement so naked and unchecked it was almost sexual. Sadie looked away.

“In the Order, genetic diseases don’t exist. No Alzheimer’s, no cystic fibrosis, no Down’s syndrome. Our cancer rates are less than half that of the general population. We’ve screened every member and weeded out any potential risks. It’s why we monitor the pairings so closely. We have to make sure you’re a strong match.”

Sadie shook her head. It was all too much to take in.

“But that’s eugenics.”

He nodded emphatically, as if she had just answered a question correctly in class.

“And it’s wrong.”

He cocked his head to the side and looked almost sympathetic. “I can understand why you would think that. It’s what we’ve been taught. But in this case, I think it’s fair to say the ends justify the means. We’re using the process for good, and as the majority of the world’s population has gotten weaker and sicker, we’ve only gotten stronger. One day soon, when they need our help most, we’ll be there to lead them.”

Sadie thought about Josh’s speech in the ceremony room. It felt like weeks ago.

“So the goal of the Optimates is … saving the world.”

Teddy turned to her, a strange look on his face. It looked suspiciously like respect. “Exactly, Ms. Marlowe. We are saving the world — one generation of superior leaders at a time.”

She almost gagged.

He walked back around the desk and sat down. He spread his hands. “Now do you have any other questions for me?”

“Are you the head of the Sullas?” Sadie blurted out. She couldn’t stop herself.

He laughed. “Not yet. My father fills that role, but as I’m sure you’ve heard, he’ll be running in the presidential election next term. When he wins, it will make our transition to power that much smoother, but in the meantime, the position is too visible. I’ll be taking his place.”

Sadie couldn’t take it anymore. She felt like the walls of the tower were closing in around her. She stood up.

“Thanks. I feel much better now — now that I understand what our goals are. But I think I should get back to studying.”

He put up a hand. “Of course. One more thing, though. I know it’s premature, but I wanted to let you both know that the elders approve of your pairing, should you choose to pursue it.”

Sadie tried not to let the disgust show on her face. He was basically telling them they could mate. She hadn’t felt this awkward since her dad had fumbled his way through “the talk” in eighth grade.

“Your blood tests revealed no genetic red flags, and all signs point to incredibly healthy offspring. Your children would be an asset to our family.”

Oh god. Blood tests. She remembered the very first night with the Fates, when she had woken up with an injection mark and a bruise on her inner elbow. They had taken her blood. She felt violated in a way that was almost indescribable. They had been inside of her and taken something that wasn’t theirs.